Let Me In
by The Cr0wing
Summary: Silence is a rarity in Demeter's apartment complex, and it seems to be made up for by her muted neighbor. But maybe silence isn't always a great thing. Rating may change. AU.
1. Fresh Meat

_**'Let Me In'**_

_**By Cr0wing**_

* * *

Pulling outside of our new apartment was a completely new experience for Demeter. Never before had she had a place she could call her own, and technically, she still couldn't. She was going to share the rent with her best friend, and their new roommate. She had met the guy once, with Bombalurina, for lunch. It was brief meeting to make sure they weren't going to be sharing an apartment with a whackjob, and while technically, he kind of _was _a whackjob, he was a whackjob they were willing to live with. Especially the scarlet, who had developed a small attraction to him, much to the golden calico's… Well, surprise wouldn't be the word to use here. But _technically, _she couldn't say she wasn't.

The apartment complex they were settling into was reserved for college students who wanted to live off campus, or that couldn't afford the rather expensive on-campus dormitories. It was more space, but lacked the luxury of being so close to class. And it Freshmen year for moth queens, and as far as they knew, Junior for their roommate, who, speaking of which, was waiting in front of the complex to help them unpack their small uHaul. The maine coon approached them with the same dashing smile as when they met,

"Welcome to your new home, Ladies! We've already arranged your welcome party."

Demeter raised an eyebrow at this, but still smiled politely, taking a few moments to stretch her legs from the long car ride, and look up at the rather odd architecture the apartment building had, ignoring the small utterance from the tom, which was particularly to Bomba, "I hope you two don't mind a few drinks."

There was a parking garage and a front lobby that was partially underground, and each had staircases that led up to a large deck, fit for neighborly parties and barbeques. The deck was placed oddly, too low to be considered a second story, and too high to be considered a first. There was a laundry room in the back center of the desk, and an elevator, which extended up three more floors, the back wall filled with front doors. There were larger apartments on either side of the deck, which, added from the ground up, made six in total, two on each floor. The one on the far right was labeled '101', and evidently, was theirs.

Looking from the angle she was at, Demeter couldn't see anybody, save for two lone cats who were peering over the balcony, one a grey tabby, and the other a solid black. She could hear a few cats talking on the deck, and the two onlookers rushed down a side flight of stairs and right over to meet the new neighbors, and help them unload their do-it-yourself moving van, the back of which, the Maine Coon, Tugger, had already opened. The black cat walked up to Demeter, the tabby in tow behind him, and gave her a toothy grin, white contrasting brilliantly to his dark fur,

"Obviously you must be Tugger's new roommates, I'm Alexei!," he chimed, offering her a paw, which she took.

"Demeter," she said back with a small smile, her old shy habits clicking back as she tried to appear more…more.

"And this is my roommate, Munkustrap."

The grey tabby waved with a small smile before a loud whistle from Tugger caught his attention and he rushed off to help him and Bombalurina start carrying things in. Demeter raised a paw in protest, "Oh, you don't have to-"

"It's okay, M'Dear, we're always glad to help!"

It took them but an hour to carry everything in, boxes, furniture and all. Opening the door to the apartment and passing a closet on the left hand side, a living room was there, already nicely furnished, probably from Tugger. A kitchen was just to the right hand side, a U-Turn from the door. A bedroom was on the far side of the living room, and to the far right hand side, a hallway. One bedroom on one side, bathroom on the other, and a larger bedroom at the end: Tugger's.

White Alexei and Tugger went to help Bombalurina set her dresser in the bedroom; Munkustrap was quietly helping Demeter put the bed back together in her room, just seeing the double mattress down. He pulled out the sheets from a cardboard box, and gave her a questioning look. She tilted her head, and then shook it, "No, thanks, I can get that later," and smiled, the silence of the tabby contrasting greatly from the loud yells and laughter echoing from Bombalurina's room, which was in the hallway, closest to Tugger's, and across from the bathroom.

"I think that everything, aside from the boxes. That's all just clothes, and my things."

He nodded, reaching into one and pulling out a few books, starting to place them on the bookshelf, every once in a while nodding in delight at a particular title, or looking at the back summary in mild interest. Deciding not to question him, Demeter merely remained quiet herself, and put away her clothes neatly into the dresser, and making sure everything was in place. Bed placed in the corner, desk by the window, long dresser beside it, Bookshelf on the other side. Nice and neat.

By the time it was all finished, aside from her toiletries, it was a dark, Friday night, and as seen from the window in the kitchen, the deck was lit up with a bonfire, and stringed lights. The smell of barbeque filling the air, and the sound of music bringing the night alive. Tugger let out a loud 'woooooot!' and soared out of Bombalurina's room, grabbing a lampshade off the table and rushing out onto the deck, Alexei in pursuit.

"I think I can adjust to this, what do you think?"

Bombalurina was smiling wide, tugging on Demeter's hand to come join her outside for their welcome party. With a smile and a roll of her eyes, Demeter followed her, the scarlet pulling Munkustrap's paw and dragging him out as well, snapping him from his leaning position against the wall. Once they were outside, Tugger grinned from the other side of the bonfire and picked up his bottle, taking an empty one and clinking them together, "Everybody, I'd like to propose a toast!"

The other neighbors, a mix of felines all around their age, wooted in response, one of them pausing the music to let the Maine Coon speak. Demeter and Bombalurina were then ushered up to Tugger by Munkustrap, who was now wearing a silly smile on his face, giving them a final push to the maned tom, "I'd like to initiate our newcomers into our circle. So, as tradition," he raised his glass in the air and shouted out loud,

"Fiiiiire!"

Suddenly, Alexei, Munkustrap, and a few others surrounded them, pointing cans of Silly String and spraying the sticky string over them, making them gasp and let out a short yelp of surprise before laughing, pulling clumps of the string off of themselves and throwing it at the offenders in a battle of sorts, and b the end of it, fur was definitely mussed up. Tugger then clinked the bottles together again, "Welcoming Bombalurina and Demeter, as Freshmeat!"

"Freshmeat!"

The whole deck echoed the word back to them, chanting it in a singsong voice before the party was resumed, music and barbecue lightening the evening and warming the cool night air. Demeter was never really able to find out when it ended, but she knew that for her, it had to end around Midnight, what with the exhaustion of unpacking and partying. She walked back into Apartment 101 to find Alexei, Tugger, and Munkustrap watching a movie on the large television Tugger had in the living room, The latter quietly laughing along with the other two's loud hooting laughter,

"I'm grabbing another beer, you guys want anything. What am I asking for, of course ya do."

The Maine Coon hopped up from the leather bound sofa and strode over to the kitchen, where Demeter was rummaging through the fridge. Tugger nudged her side playfully, uttering a friendly "scootchie scootchie' before reaching around her and grabbing three cans out of the refrigerator. His ears perked as Demeter spoke up with a small smile,

"So what was that all about with the silly string?"

Tugger smiled widely, his tail flicking happily behind him, "That, my Dear Lady friend, was an initiation into JU's first unofficial Fratority!"

"Fratority?"

"Yeah, yeah, like Frats and Sororities? Obviously none of us could get into one, so we made up our own. And now, you're Freshmeat!"

The calico raises her eyebrows in interest, "Does any danger come with being freshmeat?"

"Not unless you call Silly String dangerous," he chortled, looking through a cabinet for something to munch on, "Funny, I haven't heard ya talk all day. Was startin' to think you were like Munk."

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Munkustrap's a mute!"

"Oh, he is? Mute?"

Tugger nodded, chuckling as if it were ridiculous that she hadn't gathered it. With a blink and a swish of the tail, she wandered off passed the three toms and their movie, and into her darkened bedroom. She hadn't admitted it to anybody, but when she was moving her stuff in, she felt a bit scared. A new place, strangers everywhere. It was weird. Sure, the tight-knit seeming relationship all the neighbors seemed to have soothed her greatly, but she was still nervous. Taking a look at the bookshelf, barely lit by the moonlight shining through her window, she laid on the bed, bathing in the silence. Well, _technically, _the silence other than the muffled laughter coming from the other side of the wall. One sentence replayed in her head as she looked at the bookcase.

"_What do I mean? Munkustrap's a mute!"_

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**First CATS story, what do you think? I was challenged to pick a fandom not written for, and make a story with a primary character that doesn't talk for more then ten chapters. So, that's what I'll do! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, aside from my OC, Alexei.**

**-Cr0wing**


	2. The Fresh Smell of Coffee in the Morning

**A special thanks to my two lovely reviewers, who were so kind as to review not even two hours after posting! Definitely encouraged me to continue, so I will!**

Waking up was another one of those completely new experiences for Demeter. Not _technically _speaking of course, 653 someodd days, times eighteen means she's woken up plenty of times, but not usually in a different place. She woke up to pale morning light shining through her bedroom window. Seeing as it was a Saturday morning, it wasn't desirable to wake up at –glance at the alarm clock- nine in the morning, but the way the light angled through the window, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. Curtains, first thing on her to-do list for the day. No… Shower. Definitely.

Stepping out onto the light colored hardwood flooring next to her bed, the dusty ground a bit uncomfortable on her feet, she picked up the box of toiletries she had left behind the previous night, as well as a few things from her dresser and poked her head outside the door. The sound of snoring hit her, though luckily, it was Alexei's. _'Good,'_ she thought, _'At least he doesn't live here…'_ From what she could tell, the black tom had fallen asleep on the shorter sofa, and she could see Munkustrap also snoozing away on the longer one.

Sneaking past them, she scurried over to the backroom with the little box of toiletries, and scarted to organize her things into the bathroom, into two drawers Bombalurina left for her to use. Deodorants, grooming supplies, furbrushes, cetera cetera… Turning the shower nozzle, and waiting for the water to warm up, she took her fur shampoo and whatever other shower necessities and began her new morning routine.

Finally brushing the fest of her fur out, and dressing herself, the calico bounded out of the bathroom, now presentable and made her way to the kitchen. Her _new _kitchen. Not mom's kitchen, no more of _Mom's _home-cooked meals, at least until Christmas. Though, to her surprise, a grey tabby was already in the kitchen, his green eyes tired, and his headfur messy. Tufts of fur stuck from his chest and elbows, from what she could tell, most likely the rest of his joints. He was searching through the cabinets, a bottle of coffee creamer from the refrigerator in his left paw. His eyes lit up finally as he found coffee beans and the grinder from the cabinet, merrily making his way over to an electrical socket.

"Need any help with that?"

He snapped up at the timid voice, and peered over his shoulder, his ears now perked. His expressioned softened and he shook his head, pouring beans into the crusher and pressing the button, the loud noise of crushing coffee beans echoing in the apartment. Alexei groaned from his place on the sofa, putting a pillow over his head, "Shut uuup!", making the other tom heave a silent laugher into his paw, before setting up the coffee machine. He then turned to Demeter, placing a paw to his chin before reaching up into another cabinet, and pulling out two coffee mugs, gesturing one her way, an inviting smile crossing his tired features.

"Yes, thank you." She smiled back.

Once the coffee was finished broiling, he poured it into both the mugs, and pointed at the creamer and sugar set up next ot the machine, to which she responded quietly, "Yes…please. Oh, just one!" He then handed her the mug, and pointed outside the kitchen window, to the lonely deck, to which she nodded, following him out the door, and joining him at a small table set up on the edge of the balcony, overlooking the street below, and the entrance to the parking garage below them. They sipped the coffee gradually, the silence almost louder than any of the college students in the apartment buildings.

"So, Munkustrap?"

He replied by tapping his nose twice, and holding up two fingers. Demeter tilted her head, "Two syllables?" He nodded.

"…Munkus? You want me to call you Munkus?"

Another nod.

"Okay, _Munkus_, so are you… In your second year?"

He holds up three fingers.

"So you're a Junior?"

Another nod.

"Birthday?"

Ten Fingers.

"October… So, an old junior?"

Another nod.

Demeter was finding his little charades game interesting as well as humorous, a little surprised as to how he didn't just use sign language to communicate, instead of simply pointing to things and improvising statements. Maybe he knew she didn't know sign language. Maybe he didn't even know sign language… No, that's not right. If he were born a mute, he would have surely learned sign language. Unless he just stopped, or forgot how to talk. In the time that she had given these thoughts considering, he had been simply studying her with his eyes. She wasn't at all creeped out by it, or put off by it, but she couldn't help but wonder what was going through his head. He pointed at the ring on her left paw.

"What?... Oh, this?"

A nod.

"No, it's not what you're thinking… My father gave it to me, before he passed away."

Rather dramatically, his face softened and his ears flattened against his head.

"Well, not _right _before… It was a few years, but it's a reminder of him… I'm not married, or anything."

He then made a gesture to his heart with a thumb, and shook his head questioningly, making Demeter wonder how she could decode him, "Heart…?" He then thought for a moment, and dramatically placed his paws to his heart, making a love-struck expression before returning to his original posture. She raises her eyebrows, trying not to giggle, "What, a boyfriend?"

Another nod. She hesistated for a moment, but smiles sheepishly,

"Nope, not as far as I… What?"

He was looking behind her, briefly waving with his paw as Demeter looked behind her; Alexei stood behind her, a coffee mug in his hand as well, that white grin still on his face, "Hey there, Deme. Munkus."

"H-Hi."

"Hey, what do you say to a movie tonight?"

"With you?"

"Yeah, yeah! Unless, of course, you'd wanna bring the gang, then-"

"No no, it's fine, Alexei… Erm, sure, okay!" she smiled, surprised at the sudden request. He smiled shooting her a wink of cyan, and strutting on down the stairs towards the lobby. Demeter turned back to Munkustrap with a surprised expression. He then pointed to his heart again, and then made an 'up' motion, "I wouldn't go thinking that fast." With a smirk, he pointed to his heart a third time, and then made a down-down-down motion with his paw. She blushed furiously, "Not _that _fast either!"

**I wrote this at three in the morning purely because I had encouragement. Hopefully it works in my favor, I'm trying to build it up gradually, and just hope something good comes out of it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave me feedback, or suggestions! :D**


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